An aircraft may employ a plurality of engines about the airframe for imparting thrust to propel the aircraft. The types of engines employed on an aircraft vary based upon the desired performance and in commercial airliners, for example, the preferred choice of propulsion could be a gas turbine engine. One style of gas turbine engine is a turbofan which includes a forward fan, a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine.
Airflow is generated by the fan which provides added thrust and pressurized airflow. The pressurized airflow is separated into a core air flow path and a bypass air flow path. The air is introduced to the compressor where the air is compressed in a flow path containing one or more compressor stages where the compressed air is then introduced into the combustor where it is then mixed with pressurized fuel and ignited. The fan bypass air traverses downstream from the fan and is directed over a static outlet guide vane structure to where the bypass air then may be ejected over the nozzle or redirected for other deployment. The outlet guide vane structure is connected at its outer tip to a fan case and at its innermost point to a hub which in turn is secured to other structures in the compressor flow path region.
The outlet guide vane structure serves to de-swirl the fan by-pass air as well as carry the load bearing forces for the front end of the engine. As such the outlet guide vane structure should be configured to meet the aerodynamic requirements for de-swirling the by-pass air as well as be configured to provide the structural shape and design characteristics to carry engine loads in the event of a fan blade off event, fatiguing, etc. In addition, substantial stresses are placed on guide vanes at the joint where the airfoil interfaces with the hub and if not properly dealt with, could cause fatigue and stress fractures. Accordingly, an improved guide vane assembly would be helpful to overcome the challenges in the technology.
The method of manufacturing outlet guide vanes traditionally employs a machining process where multiple tools may be advanced multiple times over a surface of raw material in order to cut the complex geometry of the fillet radius that intersects the hub and airfoil. This process is very time-consuming as each elevation pass of the machining process increases the processing time to complete the final product. It would be helpful to improve the manufacturing process by reducing the processing time all the while improving the quality of the fillet. By reducing the processing time manufacturing efficiencies are realized which results in significant cost savings.
All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.